The problem of mass killing, perpetuated by individual shooters, is at epidemic proportions. In recent years, hundreds of innocent individuals have met a violent death from Aurora, Colo. to a Mosque shooting in Quebec City. In addition, the situation appears to be escalating to pilot suicide in the case of the downing of Malaysian flight 370 in March 2014 and the deliberate crashing of German Wings flight 9525 into the Alps March 2015. Since August 2016 until the date of filing of this application, there have been five bus driver suicides that seem to fit the mass killers profile, one in Newark, N.J., one in Chattanooga, Tenn., one in Palm Springs, Calif., one in Baltimore, Md. and one on Sep. 17, 2017 in Queens, N.Y. Of the five, four of the drivers died and many passengers were killed or injured due to the deliberate actions of the drivers. Two recent devastating motor vehicular homicides (one in Uvalde, Tex. in March 2017 and one in Charlottesville, Va. August 2017) also exhibited features that appear to fit profiles of intentional killing.
The common denominator appears to be depression. The diagnosis of depression can be presumed when local police and press reports indicate that anti-depressant medications were prescribed to the perpetrators. It's not uncommon for the medications to be listed in press reports.
What is needed is a way to screen vehicular drivers, pilots, health care professionals, and others for signs of depression or psychiatric disorders. Doing so should prevent many more deaths in the future.